1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:05,560 Speaker 1: Ladies and gentlemen, this um this day has been uh 2 00:00:05,840 --> 00:00:10,320 Speaker 1: one of the most difficult days in recent memory for me, 3 00:00:11,440 --> 00:00:17,000 Speaker 1: because I've known this moment was coming in the program today. 4 00:00:18,239 --> 00:00:22,720 Speaker 1: I'm sure that you all know by now. I really 5 00:00:22,960 --> 00:00:28,960 Speaker 1: don't like talking about myself and I don't like making 6 00:00:29,120 --> 00:00:36,800 Speaker 1: things about me other than in the usual satirical, periodic 7 00:00:36,960 --> 00:00:44,159 Speaker 1: joking way. I like this program to be about you 8 00:00:44,800 --> 00:00:47,680 Speaker 1: and the things that mattered all of us. And I've 9 00:00:47,720 --> 00:00:51,440 Speaker 1: I've I've mentioned to you that this program is in 10 00:00:51,440 --> 00:00:57,960 Speaker 1: this job is what has provided me the greatest satisfaction 11 00:00:58,040 --> 00:01:04,800 Speaker 1: and happiness that I've ever experienced, more than I ever 12 00:01:04,880 --> 00:01:11,240 Speaker 1: thought that I would experience. So I have to tell 13 00:01:11,280 --> 00:01:13,360 Speaker 1: you something today, but I wish I didn't have to 14 00:01:13,360 --> 00:01:20,679 Speaker 1: tell you. And it's it's a struggle for me because 15 00:01:20,760 --> 00:01:25,360 Speaker 1: I I had to inform my staff earlier. Today I 16 00:01:25,440 --> 00:01:28,240 Speaker 1: can't escape even though telling people are telling me it's 17 00:01:28,240 --> 00:01:30,920 Speaker 1: it's not the way to look at it. I can't 18 00:01:30,920 --> 00:01:33,640 Speaker 1: help but feel that I'm letting everybody down with this. 19 00:01:34,880 --> 00:01:38,600 Speaker 1: With this, this was a day that I will never forget. 20 00:01:38,640 --> 00:01:41,640 Speaker 1: Certainly none of us who have worked with Russia Land 21 00:01:41,720 --> 00:01:45,880 Speaker 1: Law will I ever forget. I was on my way 22 00:01:45,880 --> 00:01:49,200 Speaker 1: to work when I got the call there was going 23 00:01:49,240 --> 00:01:54,840 Speaker 1: to be a meeting, and instantly butterflies in the stomach. 24 00:01:55,960 --> 00:02:00,160 Speaker 1: We never have meetings. Maybe two over the last US 25 00:02:00,240 --> 00:02:04,880 Speaker 1: thirty years, maybe two Rush wants to meet with the staff. 26 00:02:06,040 --> 00:02:17,400 Speaker 1: We knew. I knew something was wrong something. Whether you 27 00:02:17,520 --> 00:02:19,480 Speaker 1: listened every day, you are at the E I B 28 00:02:19,600 --> 00:02:22,800 Speaker 1: Network and the Russia Limpball program heard on over six 29 00:02:22,880 --> 00:02:25,800 Speaker 1: hundred great radio stations where every now and then nation's 30 00:02:25,880 --> 00:02:28,840 Speaker 1: leading radio talk show, the most eagerly intersepted program in 31 00:02:28,880 --> 00:02:31,720 Speaker 1: America are the stories you've never heard from the people 32 00:02:31,760 --> 00:02:34,919 Speaker 1: behind the scenes who knew him best and loved him most. 33 00:02:35,400 --> 00:02:37,880 Speaker 1: Rushman Ball having more funds to the human being, it 34 00:02:37,919 --> 00:02:40,800 Speaker 1: could be allowed to hear Rush Limbaugh, the man behind 35 00:02:40,840 --> 00:02:46,040 Speaker 1: the Golden e IP microphone, hosted by James Golden, The 36 00:02:46,080 --> 00:02:49,880 Speaker 1: Tunnel to Towers Foundation has been supporting America's heroes since 37 00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:55,040 Speaker 1: nine eleven, on America's darkest day, so many people gave 38 00:02:55,080 --> 00:02:59,680 Speaker 1: their lives for us. The foundation carries forward a legacy 39 00:02:59,720 --> 00:03:05,120 Speaker 1: of courage and heroism by honoring first responder and military heroes, 40 00:03:05,600 --> 00:03:10,680 Speaker 1: great Americans who protect our communities and our freedom, and 41 00:03:11,480 --> 00:03:15,440 Speaker 1: they're willing to die for you and me. When these 42 00:03:15,480 --> 00:03:17,880 Speaker 1: heroes are killed in the line of duty and young 43 00:03:17,960 --> 00:03:22,080 Speaker 1: children are left behind, Tunnel to Towers pays off their 44 00:03:22,160 --> 00:03:27,160 Speaker 1: mortgage to lift the financial burden and bring these families 45 00:03:27,520 --> 00:03:32,520 Speaker 1: much needed stability. For catastrophically injured veterans and first responders, 46 00:03:32,840 --> 00:03:36,800 Speaker 1: Tunnel to Towers builds mortgage free smart homes. It gives 47 00:03:36,800 --> 00:03:41,480 Speaker 1: them back their independence. America's heroes and their families need 48 00:03:41,680 --> 00:03:45,600 Speaker 1: your help. Join Tunnel to Towers on their mission to 49 00:03:45,680 --> 00:03:50,120 Speaker 1: do good in their honor. Donate eleven dollars a month 50 00:03:50,440 --> 00:03:53,400 Speaker 1: by going to t to t dot org. That's t 51 00:03:54,120 --> 00:03:58,520 Speaker 1: the number two t dot org. You are the most 52 00:03:58,680 --> 00:04:03,080 Speaker 1: generous audience there is and we thank you for your support. 53 00:04:05,040 --> 00:04:08,160 Speaker 1: So I get to work and we go back to 54 00:04:08,240 --> 00:04:11,120 Speaker 1: the media room, which is in the back of the 55 00:04:11,240 --> 00:04:15,920 Speaker 1: Southern Command complex. This was an all hands meeting and 56 00:04:16,480 --> 00:04:21,960 Speaker 1: later talking to everyone, we all knew something was wrong. Rush. 57 00:04:22,520 --> 00:04:30,320 Speaker 1: His demeanor was normal. You couldn't see any anxiety. He 58 00:04:30,600 --> 00:04:35,640 Speaker 1: started off the conversation. The first few words normal, I 59 00:04:35,760 --> 00:04:38,560 Speaker 1: asked you all to come today, something to that effect, 60 00:04:39,520 --> 00:04:45,320 Speaker 1: and quickly we learned the truth. The upshot is that 61 00:04:45,400 --> 00:04:52,680 Speaker 1: I have been diagnosed with advanced lung cancer, advanced lung cancer, 62 00:04:55,200 --> 00:04:59,679 Speaker 1: and it was confirmed, got a second opinion, the second 63 00:04:59,680 --> 00:05:03,159 Speaker 1: depinion and verified what was on the first opinion that 64 00:05:03,240 --> 00:05:12,200 Speaker 1: it was indeed advanced, and then Rush being Rushed apologized 65 00:05:12,560 --> 00:05:22,800 Speaker 1: to us. He said, I'm sorry I let you down, 66 00:05:25,440 --> 00:05:34,880 Speaker 1: and I let out an involuntary, involuntary scream. No, you 67 00:05:35,240 --> 00:05:41,400 Speaker 1: can't apologize to us, because I was mortified that he 68 00:05:41,400 --> 00:05:46,360 Speaker 1: would actually in this what had to be the worst 69 00:05:48,080 --> 00:05:51,480 Speaker 1: moment of our broadcast lives together as a team, as 70 00:05:51,520 --> 00:05:55,919 Speaker 1: a as a group of people. He was apologizing to 71 00:05:56,200 --> 00:05:58,560 Speaker 1: us on what had to be the worst, one of 72 00:05:58,600 --> 00:06:02,880 Speaker 1: the worst days of his life. And he said that, um, 73 00:06:02,960 --> 00:06:05,880 Speaker 1: he was obviously gonna seek treatment, seek the best treatment 74 00:06:05,920 --> 00:06:10,120 Speaker 1: that there was for it. And whatever else he told 75 00:06:10,200 --> 00:06:14,360 Speaker 1: us in that meeting, I don't remember because I just 76 00:06:14,480 --> 00:06:22,799 Speaker 1: felt numb. It's in shock, and I didn't know quite 77 00:06:22,839 --> 00:06:28,280 Speaker 1: what else to think. Then Rush being Rush thanked everybody 78 00:06:28,360 --> 00:06:35,560 Speaker 1: for coming together and turned and walked down that hallway 79 00:06:35,600 --> 00:06:39,279 Speaker 1: back into his broadcast studio. I wish I didn't have 80 00:06:39,279 --> 00:06:42,640 Speaker 1: to tell you this, and I thought about not telling anybody. 81 00:06:42,720 --> 00:06:47,960 Speaker 1: I thought about trying to do this without anybody knowing 82 00:06:48,080 --> 00:06:52,320 Speaker 1: because I don't like making things about me, but there 83 00:06:52,320 --> 00:06:54,480 Speaker 1: are going to be days that I'm not going to 84 00:06:54,560 --> 00:06:59,560 Speaker 1: be able to be here because I'm undergoing treatment or 85 00:06:59,760 --> 00:07:04,600 Speaker 1: I m hm, reacting to treat I walked down that 86 00:07:04,680 --> 00:07:10,920 Speaker 1: hall after him and opened the door and went into 87 00:07:11,120 --> 00:07:19,040 Speaker 1: his his studio. He was standing, and I went over 88 00:07:19,080 --> 00:07:20,720 Speaker 1: to him and gave him a hug, and I told 89 00:07:20,760 --> 00:07:27,760 Speaker 1: him that I loved him and that everything was gonna 90 00:07:27,800 --> 00:07:31,200 Speaker 1: be okay, and that um I felt confident in it. 91 00:07:32,160 --> 00:07:39,400 Speaker 1: What what I have not revealed publicly until now was 92 00:07:39,560 --> 00:07:43,200 Speaker 1: that I had just finished my own boat with cancer. 93 00:07:44,520 --> 00:07:52,560 Speaker 1: I had been diagnosed with prostate cancer and it was 94 00:07:53,960 --> 00:08:02,160 Speaker 1: typical of Rush, and the organization Craig Julie Talbot, who 95 00:08:02,240 --> 00:08:06,520 Speaker 1: runs Premier Networks, and Brian Johnson and our engineers on 96 00:08:06,560 --> 00:08:11,160 Speaker 1: the West Coast did extraordinary things to allow me to 97 00:08:11,200 --> 00:08:15,000 Speaker 1: continue working in Maryland, where I moved to for almost 98 00:08:15,040 --> 00:08:18,840 Speaker 1: half a year while I was being treated. No one 99 00:08:18,920 --> 00:08:24,800 Speaker 1: knew because I kept working in My work days were 100 00:08:25,720 --> 00:08:28,000 Speaker 1: kind of normal. I had my treatment early in the 101 00:08:28,040 --> 00:08:31,960 Speaker 1: morning and would just go to work. And so I 102 00:08:32,360 --> 00:08:35,559 Speaker 1: said to myself, well, you know, Russia's gonna beat this. 103 00:08:36,640 --> 00:08:41,160 Speaker 1: Russia can beat anything. I had the feeling that Russia 104 00:08:41,200 --> 00:08:49,000 Speaker 1: was invincible, but at the same time that word advanced, advanced, 105 00:08:51,840 --> 00:08:57,040 Speaker 1: that was a bothersome word. Um, it is what it is. 106 00:08:57,559 --> 00:09:00,760 Speaker 1: And you know me, I'm the mayor of Realville. So 107 00:09:02,000 --> 00:09:07,360 Speaker 1: this has happened, and my intention is to come here 108 00:09:07,400 --> 00:09:10,920 Speaker 1: every day I can and to do this program as 109 00:09:11,120 --> 00:09:15,920 Speaker 1: normally and as competently and as expertly as I do 110 00:09:16,200 --> 00:09:20,520 Speaker 1: each and every day, because that is the source of 111 00:09:20,520 --> 00:09:28,440 Speaker 1: my greatest satisfaction professionally, um personally, I've had so much 112 00:09:28,720 --> 00:09:35,920 Speaker 1: support from family and friends during this that it's it's 113 00:09:35,920 --> 00:09:40,960 Speaker 1: just it's it's been tremendous. Shortly after that, it was showtime. 114 00:09:41,840 --> 00:09:45,840 Speaker 1: Along comes the theme to the show. Rush opens the 115 00:09:45,840 --> 00:09:50,000 Speaker 1: show I couldn't tell. I couldn't tell anything was wrong, 116 00:09:51,400 --> 00:09:57,400 Speaker 1: typical day show open, strong Rushed, leading off with stories 117 00:09:57,440 --> 00:10:00,840 Speaker 1: of the day. During the next two hours and forty 118 00:10:00,840 --> 00:10:03,480 Speaker 1: five minutes, the show proceeds along like any day on 119 00:10:03,520 --> 00:10:07,600 Speaker 1: the Russian Bulls Show, Rush cracking jokes, Rush being funny, 120 00:10:07,720 --> 00:10:10,600 Speaker 1: Rush going through a detailed analysis of the news. All 121 00:10:10,679 --> 00:10:14,040 Speaker 1: of us, four of us are in the control room 122 00:10:14,080 --> 00:10:20,800 Speaker 1: at that point. Dawn is the officials demographer. She's taking 123 00:10:21,160 --> 00:10:25,800 Speaker 1: in Real time transcribing what Russia is saying and what 124 00:10:25,840 --> 00:10:29,880 Speaker 1: the callers are saying, what the sound bites are. Brian 125 00:10:30,000 --> 00:10:35,400 Speaker 1: Johnson is there. We have a video monitor of our 126 00:10:35,440 --> 00:10:39,320 Speaker 1: New York crew, Mike Mamone in the studio in New York. 127 00:10:40,040 --> 00:10:42,320 Speaker 1: It's a normal day. All of us are trying to 128 00:10:42,440 --> 00:10:46,040 Speaker 1: keep composure. We just kept looking at each other and 129 00:10:46,080 --> 00:10:48,520 Speaker 1: trying not to cry and trying not to just just 130 00:10:48,679 --> 00:10:51,920 Speaker 1: just hold on. You know, Rush is on. We have 131 00:10:52,120 --> 00:11:03,040 Speaker 1: to we have to give our usual to Rush. We 132 00:11:03,200 --> 00:11:08,480 Speaker 1: have to look and and and be engaged in the show. 133 00:11:09,840 --> 00:11:12,360 Speaker 1: He can't look in there and see us crying. He 134 00:11:12,440 --> 00:11:14,520 Speaker 1: can't look in there and see us upset. We have 135 00:11:14,679 --> 00:11:18,920 Speaker 1: to have when when when something's funny, yeah, we we're 136 00:11:18,960 --> 00:11:22,000 Speaker 1: gonna react with the laughter and the smiles. And when 137 00:11:22,040 --> 00:11:25,200 Speaker 1: he's you know, talking about a news story that's particularly interesting, 138 00:11:25,320 --> 00:11:29,160 Speaker 1: We're we're there. I'm screening calls as usual, Dawn's doing 139 00:11:29,160 --> 00:11:32,960 Speaker 1: her job as usual. Brian is all of us are 140 00:11:33,000 --> 00:11:41,080 Speaker 1: doing our jobs. But we have this dread. Dread we 141 00:11:41,160 --> 00:11:49,960 Speaker 1: know it's coming. After the forty three break little Inside Radio, 142 00:11:50,080 --> 00:11:56,719 Speaker 1: there Rush comes back, and that's when he told you 143 00:11:57,760 --> 00:12:00,880 Speaker 1: the media, the rest of the world what was going on, 144 00:12:02,080 --> 00:12:07,400 Speaker 1: and it sounded just is horrific to us hearing it 145 00:12:07,480 --> 00:12:09,960 Speaker 1: again as it did that morning. And I told the 146 00:12:10,000 --> 00:12:15,720 Speaker 1: staff today that I have a deeply personal relationship with 147 00:12:15,800 --> 00:12:21,520 Speaker 1: God that I do not proselytize about, but I do, 148 00:12:21,760 --> 00:12:29,400 Speaker 1: and I have been working that relationship tremendously. Um, which 149 00:12:29,440 --> 00:12:32,200 Speaker 1: I do regularly anyway, but I've I've been focused on 150 00:12:32,400 --> 00:12:35,640 Speaker 1: intensely for the past couple of weeks. I know there 151 00:12:35,640 --> 00:12:38,760 Speaker 1: are many of you in this audience who have experienced this, 152 00:12:38,800 --> 00:12:44,439 Speaker 1: who are going through it yourselves at the same time, 153 00:12:44,559 --> 00:12:50,160 Speaker 1: I am, at the moment experiencing zero symptoms other than 154 00:12:50,840 --> 00:12:52,440 Speaker 1: I don't look. I don't want to get too detailed 155 00:12:52,440 --> 00:12:54,720 Speaker 1: in this. What what led to shortness of breath that 156 00:12:54,800 --> 00:12:58,480 Speaker 1: I thought might have been asthma or um. You know, 157 00:12:58,559 --> 00:13:00,240 Speaker 1: I'm sixty and I could have been my heart. My 158 00:13:00,320 --> 00:13:05,120 Speaker 1: heart's in great shape, taking away fine, squeezing and pumping great. 159 00:13:05,240 --> 00:13:12,760 Speaker 1: It was not that it was a pulimentary problem involving malignancy. 160 00:13:12,840 --> 00:13:15,240 Speaker 1: So I'm going to be gone the next couple of 161 00:13:15,320 --> 00:13:21,199 Speaker 1: days as we figure out the treatment, uh course of action, 162 00:13:22,880 --> 00:13:28,000 Speaker 1: and have further testing done. But as I said, I'm 163 00:13:28,000 --> 00:13:30,760 Speaker 1: gonna I'm gonna be here as often as I can. 164 00:13:31,880 --> 00:13:35,160 Speaker 1: And as is the case with everybody who finds themselves 165 00:13:35,200 --> 00:13:37,599 Speaker 1: in a circumstance, you just want to You want to 166 00:13:37,640 --> 00:13:39,600 Speaker 1: push your head and try to keep everything as normal 167 00:13:40,360 --> 00:13:43,680 Speaker 1: as you can, which is something that I'm going to 168 00:13:43,720 --> 00:13:45,880 Speaker 1: try to do. But at least now we didn't have 169 00:13:45,960 --> 00:13:56,600 Speaker 1: to pretend to feel anything other than extreme anxiety, sadness, hopefulness, 170 00:13:57,440 --> 00:14:03,000 Speaker 1: being prayerful, trying to do our best to give what 171 00:14:03,760 --> 00:14:09,319 Speaker 1: little we can to rush during those moments. Within five 172 00:14:09,440 --> 00:14:13,800 Speaker 1: or six minutes of the announcement, the first breaking news 173 00:14:14,400 --> 00:14:18,640 Speaker 1: story shows up on television, and we knew from there 174 00:14:19,400 --> 00:14:23,000 Speaker 1: the life was never going to be the same, and 175 00:14:23,200 --> 00:14:26,040 Speaker 1: it wasn't. Over the years, a lot of people have 176 00:14:26,640 --> 00:14:30,440 Speaker 1: been very nice telling me how much this program is 177 00:14:30,480 --> 00:14:33,360 Speaker 1: meant to them. But whatever that is, it pales in 178 00:14:33,400 --> 00:14:36,640 Speaker 1: comparison to what you all have meant to me. And 179 00:14:36,720 --> 00:14:39,280 Speaker 1: I can't I can't describe this, but I know you're 180 00:14:39,320 --> 00:14:42,520 Speaker 1: there every day, I can see you. It's it's strange 181 00:14:42,560 --> 00:14:45,480 Speaker 1: how I but I know you're there. I know you're 182 00:14:45,480 --> 00:14:48,920 Speaker 1: there in great numbers, and I know that you understand 183 00:14:48,960 --> 00:14:51,400 Speaker 1: everything I say. The rest of the world may not 184 00:14:51,560 --> 00:14:54,160 Speaker 1: when they hear it express a different way, but I 185 00:14:54,200 --> 00:14:55,960 Speaker 1: know that you do. You've been one of the greatest 186 00:14:56,080 --> 00:15:02,480 Speaker 1: sources of confidence that I've had in my life. So 187 00:15:04,200 --> 00:15:07,040 Speaker 1: I hope I will be talking about this as little 188 00:15:07,520 --> 00:15:12,640 Speaker 1: as necessary in the coming days. But we've got a 189 00:15:12,720 --> 00:15:16,040 Speaker 1: great bunch of doctors, a great team assembled. We're at 190 00:15:16,040 --> 00:15:19,200 Speaker 1: full speed ahead on this and it's just now a 191 00:15:19,200 --> 00:15:23,760 Speaker 1: matter of implementing what we are going to be told 192 00:15:23,840 --> 00:15:25,680 Speaker 1: later this week. So I'll be back here. I hope 193 00:15:25,680 --> 00:15:28,200 Speaker 1: to be back on Thursday. If not, it'll be as 194 00:15:28,240 --> 00:15:31,760 Speaker 1: soon as I can. And know that every day I'm 195 00:15:31,800 --> 00:15:34,280 Speaker 1: not here be thinking about you and missing you. Thank 196 00:15:34,320 --> 00:15:39,160 Speaker 1: you very much. Nothing was ever the same after that announcement. 197 00:15:39,440 --> 00:15:43,960 Speaker 1: Nothing would ever be the same again. So after the 198 00:15:44,000 --> 00:15:51,440 Speaker 1: show that day, that big announcement, brush was off. He 199 00:15:52,600 --> 00:15:57,920 Speaker 1: and Catherine went to the airport where I assume the 200 00:15:58,080 --> 00:16:02,320 Speaker 1: IB one was waiting, and Off went to begin his treatment. 201 00:16:03,640 --> 00:16:07,680 Speaker 1: The stunning part of it was, okay, so so now 202 00:16:07,760 --> 00:16:12,280 Speaker 1: you're dealing I'm we're all dealing with this emotional this 203 00:16:12,440 --> 00:16:25,800 Speaker 1: emotional weight that felt like suffocation. It consumed your thoughts 204 00:16:25,840 --> 00:16:30,160 Speaker 1: from the moment you woke up to the moment you 205 00:16:30,520 --> 00:16:35,120 Speaker 1: went to sleep. You know, it was always there, even 206 00:16:35,200 --> 00:16:39,320 Speaker 1: when you're working on other things or living your life, 207 00:16:39,360 --> 00:16:45,920 Speaker 1: it's always nagging at you. Ruscious got advanced cancer. This 208 00:16:45,960 --> 00:16:51,520 Speaker 1: isn't good. And there were plenty of tears among us 209 00:16:52,280 --> 00:16:59,080 Speaker 1: the staff, and again also trying to encourage each other 210 00:16:59,200 --> 00:17:03,360 Speaker 1: to be hopeful, because after all, this was rushed. This 211 00:17:03,480 --> 00:17:08,120 Speaker 1: is a guy who had gone completely deaf, which would 212 00:17:08,119 --> 00:17:10,840 Speaker 1: have been a career ender for almost anyone else. I'm 213 00:17:11,960 --> 00:17:15,479 Speaker 1: deaf and I can only hear bionically with these very 214 00:17:15,560 --> 00:17:17,960 Speaker 1: quickly human here has thirty five thousand hair cells each. 215 00:17:18,000 --> 00:17:21,159 Speaker 1: They determined the frequency and the sensitivity of the human eerie. 216 00:17:21,520 --> 00:17:23,639 Speaker 1: I don't have it minor dead. They laid down and 217 00:17:23,720 --> 00:17:28,720 Speaker 1: died autoimmune. So I have eight man made biological electrodes. 218 00:17:29,640 --> 00:17:32,919 Speaker 1: Are bionic electrodes that that try to do what hair 219 00:17:32,920 --> 00:17:36,280 Speaker 1: cells do. And yet he came back and produced and 220 00:17:36,359 --> 00:17:41,000 Speaker 1: produced and produced and never stopped producing excellent work. Even 221 00:17:41,720 --> 00:17:44,240 Speaker 1: when he was a hundred percent death. He managed to 222 00:17:44,320 --> 00:17:49,640 Speaker 1: get in there and do great shows. This is rush. 223 00:17:50,040 --> 00:17:56,560 Speaker 1: He can do anything. So now you have guest hosts 224 00:17:56,560 --> 00:18:04,320 Speaker 1: coming in. They're stunned. And the emotion that Mark and 225 00:18:04,480 --> 00:18:10,320 Speaker 1: Ken and Todd brought to the show was so genuine 226 00:18:10,320 --> 00:18:16,320 Speaker 1: and so real. Their admiration and love for Rush it 227 00:18:16,480 --> 00:18:26,320 Speaker 1: was so touching, and their kindness was just unbelievably touching 228 00:18:26,680 --> 00:18:34,280 Speaker 1: to all of us. During the course of this series, 229 00:18:34,320 --> 00:18:37,360 Speaker 1: we'll be hearing from some of Russia's friends, family members, 230 00:18:37,760 --> 00:18:42,320 Speaker 1: and influential leaders from the political and media worlds. Back 231 00:18:42,359 --> 00:18:46,840 Speaker 1: in when the Russia Limbaugh program was originating from New 232 00:18:46,960 --> 00:18:52,480 Speaker 1: York City, Rush met Rudy Giuliani. They became close friends. 233 00:18:52,520 --> 00:18:55,160 Speaker 1: Of course, Rudy would go on to become the Mayor 234 00:18:55,160 --> 00:18:58,320 Speaker 1: of New York City for eight years. Even after Rush 235 00:18:58,720 --> 00:19:01,920 Speaker 1: left New York for Florida, the two states connected, always 236 00:19:02,000 --> 00:19:05,440 Speaker 1: in the same forceome at charity golf events. They also 237 00:19:05,520 --> 00:19:09,640 Speaker 1: worked together with Marvin Shanklin of Cigar Aficionado to raise 238 00:19:09,720 --> 00:19:14,159 Speaker 1: millions of dollars for prostate cancer research. The Life of 239 00:19:14,280 --> 00:19:19,320 Speaker 1: Rush Limbaugh Chapter one, narrated by America's Mayor Rudy Giuliani. 240 00:19:22,240 --> 00:19:23,679 Speaker 1: I knew what I wanted to do when I was 241 00:19:23,840 --> 00:19:27,960 Speaker 1: eight years old. How did I know? Well, you know 242 00:19:28,080 --> 00:19:31,479 Speaker 1: the story. I hated school. It was prison, I just 243 00:19:31,920 --> 00:19:34,280 Speaker 1: hated it. You know, I'm locked in this place. I'm 244 00:19:34,320 --> 00:19:37,719 Speaker 1: having to learn about. Whatever you learn about in first grade, 245 00:19:38,040 --> 00:19:40,399 Speaker 1: you know how to pace things instead of the last 246 00:19:40,400 --> 00:19:43,560 Speaker 1: place I wanted to be. So every morning, getting ready 247 00:19:44,240 --> 00:19:47,080 Speaker 1: to go to this prison, this school, my mother had 248 00:19:47,080 --> 00:19:49,600 Speaker 1: the radio on and she's listening to the guy, a 249 00:19:49,720 --> 00:19:52,480 Speaker 1: local jock. And this guy sounds like he's having fun 250 00:19:53,000 --> 00:19:56,959 Speaker 1: doing whatever he's doing. He's playing records, he's doing commentary, 251 00:19:57,080 --> 00:19:59,359 Speaker 1: little weather forecast. It sounds like he's having fun. As 252 00:19:59,359 --> 00:20:01,560 Speaker 1: a deats how I want my day to be. I 253 00:20:01,640 --> 00:20:04,040 Speaker 1: don't want to begin my day in drudgery and something 254 00:20:04,040 --> 00:20:06,399 Speaker 1: I don't want to do, but I have no choice. 255 00:20:06,440 --> 00:20:08,720 Speaker 1: You have to go to school. If ever a man 256 00:20:08,880 --> 00:20:13,080 Speaker 1: was born for radio, it was Rush Hudson Limbaugh the Third. 257 00:20:13,240 --> 00:20:17,119 Speaker 1: He entered this world in January of n right in 258 00:20:17,200 --> 00:20:21,800 Speaker 1: the heartland of America, Cape Gherardo, Missouri. He was born 259 00:20:21,840 --> 00:20:25,600 Speaker 1: into a family of lawyers who enjoyed success at nearly 260 00:20:25,760 --> 00:20:29,320 Speaker 1: every level, and he almost seemed destined to be the same. 261 00:20:29,720 --> 00:20:33,479 Speaker 1: His paternal grandfather, Rush Hudson Limbaugh the First, served as 262 00:20:33,480 --> 00:20:37,600 Speaker 1: a United States ambassador. His father, Rush Hudson Limbaugh the Second, 263 00:20:37,880 --> 00:20:40,800 Speaker 1: was a lawyer, as was his uncle, and even his 264 00:20:40,880 --> 00:20:43,600 Speaker 1: younger brother David was also since gone on to becoming 265 00:20:43,600 --> 00:20:49,000 Speaker 1: a bestselling author, but no Rush had different plans. As 266 00:20:49,040 --> 00:20:52,720 Speaker 1: you can imagine, a deviation from the family business wasn't 267 00:20:52,760 --> 00:20:55,320 Speaker 1: received all two Well, even Rush would have said later, 268 00:20:55,760 --> 00:20:59,040 Speaker 1: there's no way my dad could have anticipated that Rush 269 00:20:59,080 --> 00:21:02,600 Speaker 1: would break all and being phenomenally successful, not going the 270 00:21:02,640 --> 00:21:05,560 Speaker 1: conventional route. So in the end it just worked out 271 00:21:05,600 --> 00:21:08,639 Speaker 1: for the best. So Russia's family initially frowned upon his 272 00:21:08,720 --> 00:21:11,919 Speaker 1: aspirations for a career in radio, they didn't completely ignore 273 00:21:11,960 --> 00:21:15,960 Speaker 1: his passion for broadcasting. The age of nine, Rushwood broadcast 274 00:21:16,040 --> 00:21:19,760 Speaker 1: from his own bedroom using a toy radio given to 275 00:21:19,840 --> 00:21:23,879 Speaker 1: him by his parents that could only transmit throughout his house. 276 00:21:24,880 --> 00:21:28,040 Speaker 1: There was a device called a Rimco carat Velle, and 277 00:21:28,080 --> 00:21:31,280 Speaker 1: it was the most amazing thing. My parents got it 278 00:21:31,320 --> 00:21:34,520 Speaker 1: for me for Christmas one year, and my mother actually 279 00:21:35,320 --> 00:21:38,560 Speaker 1: dutifully put a radio on her lap and I would 280 00:21:38,560 --> 00:21:41,760 Speaker 1: go upstairs where the bedroom was, and I would have 281 00:21:41,840 --> 00:21:45,600 Speaker 1: my phone. And you had to have an external microphone 282 00:21:45,640 --> 00:21:47,960 Speaker 1: to put into the speaker of the phonograph that you 283 00:21:48,000 --> 00:21:50,640 Speaker 1: were playing records on. You had to move the microphone 284 00:21:50,680 --> 00:21:53,560 Speaker 1: to your mouth when you were doing DJ stuff, and 285 00:21:53,600 --> 00:21:55,800 Speaker 1: then you'd hould the microphone near the speaker for the 286 00:21:55,800 --> 00:21:58,840 Speaker 1: phonograph to play the record, and my mother would dutifully 287 00:21:58,880 --> 00:22:01,399 Speaker 1: sit down there and listen to this, and that the 288 00:22:01,520 --> 00:22:05,720 Speaker 1: quality was just was was horrible, but it allowed me 289 00:22:06,400 --> 00:22:12,880 Speaker 1: to get started on on living out my my dreams. 290 00:22:14,680 --> 00:22:17,439 Speaker 1: As time passed, Rush came to believe that his family 291 00:22:17,480 --> 00:22:20,640 Speaker 1: had a change of heart about his pursuit of broadcasting. 292 00:22:20,880 --> 00:22:24,679 Speaker 1: Even though the family didn't understand it, the fact that 293 00:22:24,720 --> 00:22:27,680 Speaker 1: I hadn't quit it was enough for them to encourage 294 00:22:27,720 --> 00:22:32,600 Speaker 1: me to stay in it. And I did, and all 295 00:22:32,640 --> 00:22:37,119 Speaker 1: that happened happened, and it's it's been so rewarding. It 296 00:22:37,119 --> 00:22:41,040 Speaker 1: has been so so meaningful to me, and there have 297 00:22:41,080 --> 00:22:43,399 Speaker 1: been so many people that have made it possible, among 298 00:22:43,480 --> 00:22:47,479 Speaker 1: them all of you, thankfully for the rest of us, 299 00:22:47,920 --> 00:22:51,640 Speaker 1: My friend Rush Hudson Limbo the Third spent the next 300 00:22:51,640 --> 00:22:56,679 Speaker 1: seven decades in his relentless pursuit of broadcast excellent, and 301 00:22:56,800 --> 00:23:01,119 Speaker 1: he set the standard that will be very very hard 302 00:23:01,320 --> 00:23:07,760 Speaker 1: to beat. Not long ago, Mike Lindell, the inventor of 303 00:23:07,840 --> 00:23:11,200 Speaker 1: My Pillow, and his team fit me for my very 304 00:23:11,359 --> 00:23:14,880 Speaker 1: own my pillow. They also introduced me to their other 305 00:23:14,960 --> 00:23:20,640 Speaker 1: incredible products, like their mattress topper sheets, towels, slippers and more. 306 00:23:21,200 --> 00:23:24,400 Speaker 1: Sleep is important to me and I assume to you too. 307 00:23:24,480 --> 00:23:27,880 Speaker 1: It's time you give my Pillow a try and see 308 00:23:28,000 --> 00:23:32,600 Speaker 1: for yourself. Listeners have helped build My Pillow into the 309 00:23:32,720 --> 00:23:36,720 Speaker 1: incredible company it is today, and Mike Lindell wants to 310 00:23:36,720 --> 00:23:40,480 Speaker 1: give back to you. Now. Get great discounts on My 311 00:23:40,560 --> 00:23:44,320 Speaker 1: Pillow products by going to my Pillow dot com right 312 00:23:44,359 --> 00:23:49,120 Speaker 1: now and clicking on the radio listener special square. You'll 313 00:23:49,160 --> 00:23:53,240 Speaker 1: see offers up to sixty six percent off on products 314 00:23:53,280 --> 00:23:57,280 Speaker 1: like their pillows, mattress topper, and Geeza sheets as well 315 00:23:57,880 --> 00:24:02,000 Speaker 1: or new products like their slippers, weighted blankets, robes and 316 00:24:02,119 --> 00:24:05,479 Speaker 1: waffle blankets. All My Pillow products come with a sixty 317 00:24:05,560 --> 00:24:09,480 Speaker 1: day money back guarantee ENTO promo code icon that's I 318 00:24:09,720 --> 00:24:16,960 Speaker 1: c O N. The next time we saw a rush, 319 00:24:17,040 --> 00:24:21,200 Speaker 1: everything was different. It had to be different. We were 320 00:24:21,240 --> 00:24:25,199 Speaker 1: in a pandemic. This was COVID. Russia's got advanced lung cancer. 321 00:24:25,520 --> 00:24:27,919 Speaker 1: He's gonna be going through treatment that will compromise his 322 00:24:27,960 --> 00:24:34,240 Speaker 1: immune system and knee germ that touches him could be fatal. 323 00:24:35,359 --> 00:24:41,600 Speaker 1: So not only were we masked, but there was no 324 00:24:41,680 --> 00:24:47,120 Speaker 1: more contact. That control room was off when rush came 325 00:24:47,160 --> 00:24:49,399 Speaker 1: out of the control room during the breaks to go 326 00:24:49,480 --> 00:24:52,960 Speaker 1: to the kitchen. Nobody could go. We couldn't have physical 327 00:24:53,080 --> 00:24:56,120 Speaker 1: contact with him at all. We had to keep our 328 00:24:56,280 --> 00:25:00,159 Speaker 1: distance because no one could take the chance during this 329 00:25:00,280 --> 00:25:06,320 Speaker 1: pandemic that a sneeze, a cough, anything could come near 330 00:25:07,400 --> 00:25:12,680 Speaker 1: him for fear that it would complicate, perhaps fatally, his 331 00:25:12,920 --> 00:25:17,520 Speaker 1: already precarious position. And for us, that's that's that's a 332 00:25:17,520 --> 00:25:21,399 Speaker 1: hardship because we were also used to I'd go into 333 00:25:21,440 --> 00:25:26,080 Speaker 1: the studio every single day before the show. I mean 334 00:25:26,119 --> 00:25:28,479 Speaker 1: it's part of it. I'd go in there. We talked 335 00:25:28,520 --> 00:25:32,800 Speaker 1: for a few minutes sometimes, I just you know, if 336 00:25:32,840 --> 00:25:35,240 Speaker 1: he looked like he was really having, ah, you know, 337 00:25:35,400 --> 00:25:39,840 Speaker 1: a stressful kind of morning, I just maybe just rub 338 00:25:39,880 --> 00:25:42,159 Speaker 1: his shoulders a little bit. Hey, let me give you 339 00:25:42,160 --> 00:25:44,320 Speaker 1: a little bit of you know, a shoulder up. See 340 00:25:44,359 --> 00:25:48,040 Speaker 1: whether you know whatever it was, it was, and it 341 00:25:48,119 --> 00:25:53,639 Speaker 1: was it's hard to explain. We all have those of 342 00:25:53,720 --> 00:25:57,720 Speaker 1: us that were with Rush every day, Brian, Dawn and myself, 343 00:25:58,280 --> 00:26:02,760 Speaker 1: it's we were own family. I mean we saw each 344 00:26:02,800 --> 00:26:04,760 Speaker 1: other to spent more time with each other than we 345 00:26:04,880 --> 00:26:09,000 Speaker 1: practically did with anyone else for decades. Right, So we're 346 00:26:09,040 --> 00:26:11,919 Speaker 1: we're our own family. We all had our different you know. 347 00:26:12,240 --> 00:26:16,600 Speaker 1: Rushwood asked Brian to take care of certain things, especially 348 00:26:17,359 --> 00:26:22,040 Speaker 1: um iPhone giveaways, iPad giveaways. Brian was always the point 349 00:26:22,040 --> 00:26:24,800 Speaker 1: man to get stuff out the door for Rush and 350 00:26:24,800 --> 00:26:29,400 Speaker 1: and to do other things. Um, I had different responsibilities. 351 00:26:29,480 --> 00:26:33,640 Speaker 1: Dawn had an ongoing communication with Rush that that that 352 00:26:33,640 --> 00:26:36,760 Speaker 1: that frankly, Brian and I didn't have. She was, as 353 00:26:36,760 --> 00:26:40,639 Speaker 1: she would say, I'm the girl and I'm the boss. 354 00:26:41,680 --> 00:26:48,359 Speaker 1: So her, her, Dawns a communication with Rush was different 355 00:26:48,359 --> 00:26:53,240 Speaker 1: than anyone else's. And ever because she had a different 356 00:26:53,320 --> 00:26:58,880 Speaker 1: kind of bond with him, and and and and it 357 00:26:58,920 --> 00:27:05,080 Speaker 1: was it was infects just to watch sometimes you know. Um, 358 00:27:05,240 --> 00:27:07,960 Speaker 1: she would say things and I'd say, I know, she 359 00:27:08,119 --> 00:27:14,800 Speaker 1: just didn't say that, Yes she did. Um. And And 360 00:27:14,840 --> 00:27:16,440 Speaker 1: like I said, we were all kind of our own 361 00:27:16,480 --> 00:27:19,760 Speaker 1: little family in there. And we never had many visitors. 362 00:27:19,800 --> 00:27:22,280 Speaker 1: I mean, we did have visitors occasionally, you know, people 363 00:27:22,280 --> 00:27:26,320 Speaker 1: would come in, Um the great work that Catherine and 364 00:27:26,400 --> 00:27:30,720 Speaker 1: Rush did for for charity. Once in a while someone 365 00:27:30,760 --> 00:27:33,440 Speaker 1: would come in with with regard to that, the great 366 00:27:33,480 --> 00:27:36,520 Speaker 1: work on the books. Uh. They did contest and so 367 00:27:36,600 --> 00:27:39,240 Speaker 1: we'd have some of the contest winners come in and 368 00:27:39,359 --> 00:27:42,359 Speaker 1: join us for a day. Um, some of Russia's close 369 00:27:42,480 --> 00:27:46,120 Speaker 1: friends as golf buddies or or like Gay and Stanley 370 00:27:46,200 --> 00:27:49,840 Speaker 1: Gaines would would stop in every maybe once a year, 371 00:27:50,000 --> 00:27:53,320 Speaker 1: maybe once every two years. But for the most part 372 00:27:53,640 --> 00:28:01,359 Speaker 1: we were in there by ourselves doing that show. And 373 00:28:03,920 --> 00:28:06,359 Speaker 1: now to not be able to have any contact with Rush, 374 00:28:06,800 --> 00:28:12,639 Speaker 1: physical contact. I don't want to sound selfish, because of 375 00:28:12,680 --> 00:28:15,280 Speaker 1: course we we wanted. We we were praying and hoping 376 00:28:15,280 --> 00:28:19,119 Speaker 1: that Rush would get better. But I think that was 377 00:28:19,200 --> 00:28:21,560 Speaker 1: difficult on all of us because we were just so 378 00:28:21,760 --> 00:28:25,280 Speaker 1: used to being, you know, so open with him, and 379 00:28:25,320 --> 00:28:31,520 Speaker 1: now we were just also worried. And so the treatment 380 00:28:32,359 --> 00:28:36,560 Speaker 1: started and for the first few weeks it seemed like 381 00:28:36,680 --> 00:28:41,520 Speaker 1: everything was going well, and then the side effects came in. 382 00:28:42,480 --> 00:28:45,560 Speaker 1: And Rush always from day one said he didn't want 383 00:28:45,560 --> 00:28:48,080 Speaker 1: to be that cancer patient on the air. He didn't 384 00:28:48,120 --> 00:28:53,040 Speaker 1: want want to live his life letting the cancer define him, 385 00:28:53,080 --> 00:28:56,680 Speaker 1: and so this was key. I think most of us, 386 00:28:57,280 --> 00:28:59,720 Speaker 1: or some of us, if we got a diagnosis like that, 387 00:28:59,760 --> 00:29:04,000 Speaker 1: would just say, Okay, thank you, had a great run 388 00:29:04,000 --> 00:29:08,320 Speaker 1: at this career. It's been wonderful. Bubbye. I'm gonna do 389 00:29:08,440 --> 00:29:13,560 Speaker 1: my bucket list. I'm going to, you know, enjoy myself. 390 00:29:13,800 --> 00:29:16,280 Speaker 1: I'm going to see places in the world that I 391 00:29:16,280 --> 00:29:18,640 Speaker 1: haven't seen while I still have the energy to do it. 392 00:29:19,000 --> 00:29:22,080 Speaker 1: I'm gonna spend the time that I want hanging out 393 00:29:22,120 --> 00:29:25,800 Speaker 1: with just the people I want to um and UM 394 00:29:26,200 --> 00:29:29,120 Speaker 1: guess what. That's what Rush did. He spent time with 395 00:29:29,160 --> 00:29:34,040 Speaker 1: the people that he wanted to his audience. Russia's bucket 396 00:29:34,080 --> 00:29:39,560 Speaker 1: list was to give everything that he could to the 397 00:29:39,600 --> 00:29:44,960 Speaker 1: audience out of a sense of gratitude and thankfulness and 398 00:29:45,080 --> 00:29:49,520 Speaker 1: appreciation for the wonderful life that this audience had provided 399 00:29:49,520 --> 00:29:54,520 Speaker 1: for him. And he said those words so eloquently at times. 400 00:29:55,000 --> 00:29:59,320 Speaker 1: I understand now what Luke Garrick meant, because I certainly 401 00:29:59,320 --> 00:30:05,600 Speaker 1: feel like that. I feel extremely fortunate and lucky because 402 00:30:05,680 --> 00:30:09,640 Speaker 1: I have outlived the diagnosis. I've been able to receive 403 00:30:10,480 --> 00:30:17,640 Speaker 1: and here and process some of the most wonderful nice 404 00:30:18,480 --> 00:30:21,680 Speaker 1: things about me that I might not have ever heard. 405 00:30:22,520 --> 00:30:24,520 Speaker 1: There were two or three moments in the year where 406 00:30:24,560 --> 00:30:29,760 Speaker 1: Rush did talk about his treatment. One was particularly grave 407 00:30:31,440 --> 00:30:34,160 Speaker 1: when he indicated that they'd have to try a new approach, 408 00:30:35,760 --> 00:30:38,920 Speaker 1: and that was kind of a red flag for me. 409 00:30:39,000 --> 00:30:42,560 Speaker 1: That's like, hmm, this it's not going as expected. I 410 00:30:42,560 --> 00:30:44,360 Speaker 1: think it was a red flag for all of us. 411 00:30:46,160 --> 00:30:52,680 Speaker 1: There was the moment's mere Thanksgiving, the Thanksgiving show as 412 00:30:52,720 --> 00:30:58,120 Speaker 1: we progressed, where Russian made it a point to speak 413 00:30:58,320 --> 00:31:01,960 Speaker 1: very poignantly about out how much the audience meant to 414 00:31:02,080 --> 00:31:10,360 Speaker 1: him and as many days as he could be there 415 00:31:10,400 --> 00:31:14,320 Speaker 1: he was there. I remember him saying that, and you know, 416 00:31:14,320 --> 00:31:16,840 Speaker 1: it's so funny. I still think about this a lot. 417 00:31:17,440 --> 00:31:20,160 Speaker 1: He said, there will come a time when I will 418 00:31:20,200 --> 00:31:24,720 Speaker 1: no longer be able to do this, but until then, 419 00:31:25,880 --> 00:31:29,680 Speaker 1: I'm gonna do this is many days as I can. 420 00:31:31,120 --> 00:31:35,840 Speaker 1: And to me, I wanted to ignore the first part 421 00:31:35,880 --> 00:31:41,200 Speaker 1: of that, that that they're there will come a time 422 00:31:41,240 --> 00:31:43,000 Speaker 1: when I can't do this. Of course, we all know 423 00:31:43,120 --> 00:31:46,200 Speaker 1: that that's reality. There's a time in everyone's life when 424 00:31:48,520 --> 00:31:52,760 Speaker 1: life changes, when whatever has gone on before is not 425 00:31:52,800 --> 00:31:54,920 Speaker 1: going to go on again. This is life for all 426 00:31:54,960 --> 00:32:00,720 Speaker 1: of us. But to have it on a stage before 427 00:32:03,320 --> 00:32:07,880 Speaker 1: seven million or more people the audience, by the way, 428 00:32:08,040 --> 00:32:11,360 Speaker 1: kept growing and growing and growing and never stopped growing 429 00:32:12,520 --> 00:32:21,440 Speaker 1: into his thirty third year. To have this that I 430 00:32:21,480 --> 00:32:24,360 Speaker 1: am going to do this as long as I can 431 00:32:24,400 --> 00:32:29,520 Speaker 1: do this showed you where his love was. He loved 432 00:32:29,640 --> 00:32:35,040 Speaker 1: his wife, He loved what he did for others through 433 00:32:35,080 --> 00:32:39,240 Speaker 1: the charities and through the philanthropy. He loved all of that. 434 00:32:40,920 --> 00:32:46,520 Speaker 1: But Rush made no secret about it. He said it, 435 00:32:48,160 --> 00:32:53,200 Speaker 1: and it was jest, but it wasn't. I was born 436 00:32:53,240 --> 00:33:00,480 Speaker 1: to host, and you were born to listen. And until 437 00:33:00,520 --> 00:33:04,520 Speaker 1: the very end that was Russia Limbaugh born to host 438 00:33:05,000 --> 00:33:10,880 Speaker 1: with timent on loan from God, and we we're there 439 00:33:10,920 --> 00:33:19,120 Speaker 1: to listen and to enjoy that broadcast. I think perhaps 440 00:33:22,400 --> 00:33:26,400 Speaker 1: the moment I knew something was terribly wrong would be 441 00:33:26,520 --> 00:33:30,440 Speaker 1: later in the year, near Christmas. I've been very lucky, folks, 442 00:33:30,480 --> 00:33:33,160 Speaker 1: and I can't tell you how many, how many ways 443 00:33:35,120 --> 00:33:41,920 Speaker 1: you I when this kind of thing befalls you, it's 444 00:33:41,960 --> 00:33:46,680 Speaker 1: hard not to become self focused. It's hard to not 445 00:33:46,880 --> 00:33:51,360 Speaker 1: just think of yourself, and it's it's hard to think 446 00:33:51,400 --> 00:33:55,600 Speaker 1: that everybody's gonna drop what they're doing and deal with 447 00:33:55,600 --> 00:33:59,120 Speaker 1: with me, with you. You have to guard against that 448 00:33:59,400 --> 00:34:06,160 Speaker 1: because this is to the family, This is as disrupting, 449 00:34:06,920 --> 00:34:14,040 Speaker 1: it's as upsetting as it is to me, and in 450 00:34:14,080 --> 00:34:17,920 Speaker 1: some cases even more so. So. You can't I can't 451 00:34:18,840 --> 00:34:23,000 Speaker 1: be self absorbed about it when that is the tendency 452 00:34:23,080 --> 00:34:29,080 Speaker 1: when you are told that you've got to do date. 453 00:34:31,000 --> 00:34:34,120 Speaker 1: You have an expiration date. A lot of people never 454 00:34:34,200 --> 00:34:41,040 Speaker 1: get told that, and so they don't face life this way. 455 00:34:41,120 --> 00:34:47,560 Speaker 1: That Christmas broadcast, his last Christmas broadcast with us, was 456 00:34:47,840 --> 00:34:54,560 Speaker 1: incredibly special to me. It was the worst. It was 457 00:34:54,680 --> 00:34:59,640 Speaker 1: the the precursor to the worst Christmas of my life. 458 00:35:01,480 --> 00:35:06,480 Speaker 1: Because I was so devastated emotionally after that broadcast that 459 00:35:06,640 --> 00:35:09,560 Speaker 1: I didn't go out Christmas. I didn't want to be 460 00:35:09,600 --> 00:35:14,080 Speaker 1: around anybody. I just wanted to stay home and mope 461 00:35:15,200 --> 00:35:21,920 Speaker 1: and cry and feel miserable because I could tell in 462 00:35:22,000 --> 00:35:27,840 Speaker 1: that broadcast that this man who had spent the entire 463 00:35:28,040 --> 00:35:34,880 Speaker 1: year giving everything that he had to give was perhaps 464 00:35:35,600 --> 00:35:40,000 Speaker 1: not going to be here the following Christmas. This was it. 465 00:35:40,520 --> 00:35:43,480 Speaker 1: My point in all of us today's gratitude, My my 466 00:35:43,600 --> 00:35:45,960 Speaker 1: point in everything today that I shared with you about 467 00:35:46,000 --> 00:35:51,800 Speaker 1: this is to say thanks and to tell everybody involved 468 00:35:52,800 --> 00:35:56,200 Speaker 1: how much I love you from the bottom of a 469 00:35:56,280 --> 00:35:59,960 Speaker 1: sizeable and growing and still beating heart, still beating heart. 470 00:36:00,000 --> 00:36:03,520 Speaker 1: It was just something in the way that he delivered 471 00:36:03,520 --> 00:36:06,200 Speaker 1: the message, and later on he privately told us, you know, 472 00:36:06,320 --> 00:36:09,280 Speaker 1: I didn't expect to be here this long after that diagnosis, 473 00:36:10,040 --> 00:36:14,319 Speaker 1: and that was something else that was chilling, and he 474 00:36:14,520 --> 00:36:20,160 Speaker 1: kept using the word terminal. It had changed, his lexicon 475 00:36:20,239 --> 00:36:24,800 Speaker 1: had changed from having advanced lung cancer to having terminal 476 00:36:25,800 --> 00:36:30,000 Speaker 1: lung cancer. And he said it more than once because 477 00:36:30,040 --> 00:36:36,120 Speaker 1: he wanted us to know this is terminal, and he 478 00:36:36,239 --> 00:36:40,320 Speaker 1: knew it was terminal. Now, silly me. I'm still thinking 479 00:36:40,320 --> 00:36:42,560 Speaker 1: that whatever this next treatment is is going to reverse 480 00:36:42,600 --> 00:36:45,479 Speaker 1: all of this, and it's not gonna be terminal. And 481 00:36:45,640 --> 00:36:51,080 Speaker 1: until the day that Catherine announced his death, I still 482 00:36:51,120 --> 00:36:54,399 Speaker 1: believed that he would find some way to survive this. 483 00:36:56,719 --> 00:36:58,640 Speaker 1: But I also know that when God wants you to 484 00:36:58,680 --> 00:37:01,160 Speaker 1: come home, you're coming home. Regardless of who you are, 485 00:37:01,239 --> 00:37:04,359 Speaker 1: what your station in life is, how important you think 486 00:37:04,400 --> 00:37:07,479 Speaker 1: you are, how important the world thinks you are, none 487 00:37:07,480 --> 00:37:09,239 Speaker 1: of that matters. When it's time to go home, You're 488 00:37:09,239 --> 00:37:14,800 Speaker 1: going home. And of course, not wanting Rushed to suffer, 489 00:37:14,960 --> 00:37:19,880 Speaker 1: there is also solace and that he is not suffering. 490 00:37:20,440 --> 00:37:23,240 Speaker 1: And I will tell you that some of those days, 491 00:37:23,840 --> 00:37:26,480 Speaker 1: at the end of the show, you could really see 492 00:37:26,520 --> 00:37:35,040 Speaker 1: what giving it all meant. Rush could barely move after 493 00:37:35,120 --> 00:37:39,560 Speaker 1: the show. Some some days you can see just how 494 00:37:39,680 --> 00:37:44,279 Speaker 1: much those three hours had taken out of him. You 495 00:37:44,320 --> 00:37:46,560 Speaker 1: couldn't tell it at all during the show. It was 496 00:37:46,719 --> 00:37:49,799 Speaker 1: These shows were flawless, some of his better shows ever. 497 00:37:51,040 --> 00:37:53,960 Speaker 1: But when that show was over, he was done. He 498 00:37:54,160 --> 00:37:59,120 Speaker 1: was exhausted. At one point he said, I could barely 499 00:37:59,160 --> 00:38:05,759 Speaker 1: stand up. This disease had taken such a toll on him. 500 00:38:05,800 --> 00:38:11,400 Speaker 1: We could see him losing weight. He had grown the beard, 501 00:38:11,920 --> 00:38:14,719 Speaker 1: which at first kind of reminded me of Hemingway. And 502 00:38:14,760 --> 00:38:17,399 Speaker 1: then later on he started to even to me look 503 00:38:17,440 --> 00:38:23,160 Speaker 1: gaunt through the beard. His complexion changed, so you could 504 00:38:23,160 --> 00:38:26,080 Speaker 1: tell he was going through it, but you couldn't tell 505 00:38:26,120 --> 00:38:32,399 Speaker 1: it from listening to him because he put it on 506 00:38:32,400 --> 00:38:37,000 Speaker 1: on the table. Even after the disappointments of election Day, 507 00:38:37,080 --> 00:38:45,560 Speaker 1: still maintained a positive attitude right through that awful holiday season. 508 00:38:46,280 --> 00:38:49,000 Speaker 1: There were some other moments in the holiday season that 509 00:38:49,160 --> 00:38:55,319 Speaker 1: we're We're precious. One day stands in particular, and that 510 00:38:55,480 --> 00:38:59,719 Speaker 1: was a celebration of Christmas that the four of us 511 00:38:59,760 --> 00:39:03,160 Speaker 1: had with each other, Rush, Dawn, Brian and myself, and 512 00:39:03,360 --> 00:39:09,719 Speaker 1: he asked us to come into the studio and we did, 513 00:39:09,800 --> 00:39:11,200 Speaker 1: and it was the first time in the year that 514 00:39:11,239 --> 00:39:16,600 Speaker 1: we had contact with him, and it was special, and 515 00:39:16,719 --> 00:39:20,719 Speaker 1: it was so special that I almost don't want to 516 00:39:20,719 --> 00:39:23,960 Speaker 1: talk about it because it's like a jewel. But I 517 00:39:23,960 --> 00:39:28,719 Speaker 1: will tell you this, Rush Limbaugh greatest broadcaster of all 518 00:39:28,800 --> 00:39:33,840 Speaker 1: time in my eyes, and I've known many great broadcasters, 519 00:39:33,880 --> 00:39:37,120 Speaker 1: but beyond that, one of the most courageous human beings 520 00:39:37,200 --> 00:39:40,600 Speaker 1: I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. And the way 521 00:39:40,600 --> 00:39:51,200 Speaker 1: that Rush handled his final challenge, he left nothing on 522 00:39:51,239 --> 00:40:04,560 Speaker 1: the table. He gave it his all. Thank you for 523 00:40:04,680 --> 00:40:07,680 Speaker 1: joining us for the first episode of Russia Limbaugh The 524 00:40:07,719 --> 00:40:11,600 Speaker 1: Man Behind the Golden E I B Microphone. Next episode 525 00:40:12,080 --> 00:40:15,040 Speaker 1: you'll meet the Inner Family. Two people I referenced in 526 00:40:15,080 --> 00:40:19,960 Speaker 1: this episode, Dawn Patchynsky Brian Johnson were there with me 527 00:40:20,440 --> 00:40:24,080 Speaker 1: with Rush for twenty years through the control room as 528 00:40:24,160 --> 00:40:28,960 Speaker 1: this genius did his radio program. Join us next episode. 529 00:40:29,400 --> 00:40:31,880 Speaker 1: Russia Limbaugh The Man Behind the Golden E I B 530 00:40:32,080 --> 00:40:36,320 Speaker 1: Microphone is produced by Chris Kelly and Phil Tower of 531 00:40:36,440 --> 00:40:42,400 Speaker 1: Best Producers in America. Production assistance Mike Mamone and the 532 00:40:42,440 --> 00:40:46,480 Speaker 1: executive producers Craig Kitchen and Julie Talbot. Our program distributed 533 00:40:46,520 --> 00:40:50,000 Speaker 1: worldwide by Premier Networks, found on the I Heart Radio 534 00:40:50,080 --> 00:40:54,319 Speaker 1: app or wherever you listen to your favorite podcast. This 535 00:40:54,400 --> 00:40:58,760 Speaker 1: is James Golden, This is both Snerdley this is James Golden. 536 00:40:58,880 --> 00:41:01,440 Speaker 1: I'm honored to be your was for this in every 537 00:41:01,440 --> 00:41:05,040 Speaker 1: single episode of Rush Limbaugh, the man behind the Golden 538 00:41:05,080 --> 00:41:08,000 Speaker 1: E I B microphone. Thank you for being with us.